Excelsior Sports Correspondent
Jammu, July 30: Unknown to a wider public till recently, Vijay Sharma a native of Tehsil Akhnoor of Jammu has now got recognition across the world for imparting training to Saikhom Mirabai Chanu-the Olympics Silver medallist of India in Weightlifting.
Originally native of Sohal village of Tehsil Akhnoor, the family of Vijay Sharma had shifted to Modinagar town of Uttar Pradesh in the year of 1969 after the retirement of his father from the Army in search of a private job in the newly established industrial hub of Modinagar- a town of Ghaziabad district.
My father make everything to nourish me and provide every opportunity, so that I can excel in the field which I want, said Weightlifting coach and son of soil, Vijay Sharma- who just got fame across the world after his trainee (Mirabai Chanu) clinched Silver medal for India in 69 kg women’s category of weightlifting on the opening day of the ongoing Olympic-2020 at Tokyo.
“I met her (Chanu) in the senior national weightlifting camp of weightlifting in the year of 2012. She was always passionate about weightlifting and has been taking training under me since 2014. It was in the year of 2016, when she didn’t succeed in the Rio Olympic and returned empty handed, said Sharma recalling Chanu’s journey of weightlifting, adding that since 2016, she underwent rigorous training for the last five years for this pride moment and made India proud by clinching the medal.
During the last five years, she never met her family members and did not go to her hometown. She even does not attend her sister’s marriage, so that she couldn’t distract from her dream, said coach Sharma while recalling her dedication towards the game and said that the J&K has immense potential in weightlifting and other games but needs proper coaching, motivation and guidance from the experts for young budding players.
“I want to open an academy of weightlifting in the Jammu and Kashmir for young budding players with the support of the J&K premier sports body as I don’t have the resources but initiative has to be taken by the J&K Administration,” he said.
Sharma has been serving in the Indian Railway since 1992 just after he had won Gold in the All India University level Championship as well as Bronze in an International event. “I trained a number of players because I am passionate about this game but now, I want to serve my home state if the UT Government allows me to open an academy with its cooperation,” he said.
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